[Node.js SDK, Dialogs] Resumed dialog in last step automatically end all parent dialogs

[sfratini]

Bot Info

• SDK Platform: Node.js
• SDK Version: 3.11.0
• Deployment Environment: Local Emulator

Issue Description

I am trying to understand the concept or flow of what happens in the last step. I have a waterfall dialog that in the last step, begins a new dialog that request the user to confirm their choices. They can choose to cancel, confirm or modify. Confirm and cancel works fine.

In order to modify, I begin a new dialog, ask the user what they want to modify and then I want to show the confirmation promt again. The problem is that the whole stack seems to be ending all the dialogs in a waterfall. I understand this might be related to the fact I am starting a new dialog in my last step of the dialog, however I don't see how to avoid this.

Code Example

You can see in this log that as soon as I end the child dialog, the two parents also end:

1|Chatbot- | ..requestModify - Session.endDialogWithResult()
1|Chatbot- | .requestConfirm - Session.endDialogWithResult()
1|Chatbot- | request - Session.endDialogWithResult()

Expected Behavior

I would like to receive the result/information from the child dialog in the parent, so I can decide what to do before ending the dialog.

Code Examples

This is my requestConfirm dialog. When I click on the modify action callback, I have a regex recognizer that catches this and begins a new dialog. This is all a one step dialog because I found it easier to handle.

 bot.dialog("requestConfirm", [
        function(session, args, next){

            console.log('Confirm Stack: ' + JSON.stringify(session.dialogStack()));
            console.log('Confirm Message: ' + JSON.stringify(session.message));
            console.log('Confirm Args: ' + JSON.stringify(args));

            if (session.message.text == 'confirmar'){

                session.sendTyping();

                let user = session.privateConversationData.profile.id;
                let serv = session.privateConversationData.service.id;
                let staff = session.privateConversationData.staff.id;
                let loc = session.privateConversationData.location.id;
                let time = session.privateConversationData.time;

                self.client.book(user, loc, serv, staff, time).then((booking) => {

                    delete session.message.text;
                    delete session.message.value;

                    let text = util.format(session.localizer.gettext(session.preferredLocale(),"request_confirmed_info"),
                    session.privateConversationData.service.name,
                    session.privateConversationData.staff.name,
                    moment(session.privateConversationData.time).format('LLLL'),
                    session.privateConversationData.location.address
                    );

                    let cards = [];
                    let card = new builder.HeroCard(session)
                    .title("request_confirmed")
                    .text(text)
                    cards.push(card);
                    var msg = new builder.Message(session);
                    msg.attachments(cards);
                    session.send(msg)
                    //session.clearDialogStack();
                    cleanupChoices(session);
                    session.endDialogWithResult({confirmed: true});
                    return;

                })
                .catch(error => {
                    session.send("request_confirmed_error");
                });

            } else if (session.message.text == 'olvidar'){
                cleanupChoices(session);
                session.send("request_not_confirmed");
                session.endDialogWithResult({notconfirmed: true});
                return;
            } else {

                if (typeof session.message.text == 'undefined')
                    session.send('request_confirm_prompt');            
                else                 
                    session.send('request_confirm_not_understood');

                let title = session.localizer.gettext(session.preferredLocale(),"appointment_mine");

                let text = util.format(session.localizer.gettext(session.preferredLocale(),"request_confirm_prompt_text"),
                session.privateConversationData.profile.name,        
                session.privateConversationData.service.name,
                session.privateConversationData.location.title,        
                session.privateConversationData.staff.name,
                moment(session.privateConversationData.time).format('LLLL'),
                );

                let card = new builder.HeroCard(session)
                .title(title)
                .text(text)
                .buttons([
                    builder.CardAction.imBack(session, 'confirmar', "appointment_confirm"), 
                    builder.CardAction.imBack(session, 'modificar', "appointment_modify"),        
                    builder.CardAction.imBack(session, 'olvidar', "appointment_cancel")            
                ]);

                var msg = new builder.Message(session);
                let cards = []; cards.push(card);
                msg.attachments(cards);
                session.send(msg);

            }

        }
    ]);

[sfratini]

Well, I "solved" it by adding a second step in the requestConfim dialog and ending the child dialogs with {success:true}. This is my second step:

function(session, results){
            if (results.success){
                session.replaceDialog("requestConfirm");
            } else {
                session.endDialogWithResult({error: true});
            }
        }

It seems an overkill, having a step just for this but so far it works. I'd love some feedback about the solution tho. Thanks

[torjussa]

Was experiencing the same problem as @sfratini as it ended the entire dialog stack when ending child dialog. Did a similar workaround by adding an extra empty waterfall step at the end of the parent dialogue.

Did not work:

parent{
    beginDialog('child')
}
child{
    endDialog()
}

Works:

parent[
 {
    beginDialog('child')
 },
    ()=>{}
]
child{
    endDialog()
}

Pretty ugly fix.

[EricDahlvang]

It looks like you've found a valid workaround. v4 of the sdk handles this scenario better: https://github.com/Microsoft/BotBuilder-js

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